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Monroe County, Indiana
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana, and determined by the U.S. Census Bureau to include the mean center of U.S. population in 1910. The population was 137,974 at the 2010 census. The county seat is Bloomington. Monroe County is part of the Bloomington, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Climate and weather }} In recent years, average temperatures in Bloomington have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in January to in May. Government The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code. County Council: The county council is the fiscal body of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. There are four elected members representing districts and three members elected at-large. The council members serve four year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes. Board of Commissioners: The executive and legislative body of the county is made of a three member board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. The president of the board of commissioners is the principle executive officer of the county. The commissioners are charged with setting policy and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government. Court: The county maintains a unified circuit court with nine divisions and a court commissioner that handles civil cases. Judges are elected to a term of six years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level (appeals court, state supreme court). County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, assessor, and circuit court clerk Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county. Monroe County is part of both Indiana's 4th congressional district and Indiana's 9th congressional district and is represented in Congress Republican Steve Buyer of the 4th and by Republican Todd Young of the 9th. Geography According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 95.87%) is land and (or 4.13%) is water. Adjacent counties *Morgan County (north) *Brown County (east) *Jackson County (southeast) *Lawrence County (south) *Greene County (southwest) *Owen County (northwest) Major highways * * * Indiana State Road 37 * Indiana State Road 45 * Indiana State Road 46 * Indiana State Road 48 * Indiana State Road 446 Monroe County is one of the most populous counties in the USA which does not currently contain any US highways or Interstate highways. *However, in 2014 the I-69 extension will be complete into the county and this distinction will disappear. National protected areas * Hoosier National Forest (part) Natural wonders * Buckner Cave History Monroe County was formed in 1818 from portions of Orange County. It was named for James Monroe, fifth President of the United States, who was serving at the time the county was organized. Demographics As of the census of 2010, there were 137,974 people, 46,898 households, and 24,715 families residing in the county. The population density was 306 people per square mile (118/km²). There were 50,846 housing units at an average density of 129 per square mile (50/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.83% White, 3.00% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 3.37% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.63% from two or more races. 1.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.2% were of German, 13.9% American, 10.5% English and 10.2% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. There were 46,898 households out of which 24.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.80% were married couples living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.30% were non-families. 32.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.87. In the county the population was spread out with 18.00% under the age of 18, 27.70% from 18 to 24, 27.30% from 25 to 44, 17.90% from 45 to 64, and 9.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 96.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $33,311, and the median income for a family was $51,058. Males had a median income of $34,062 versus $26,076 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,534. About 7.10% of families and 18.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.80% of those under age 18 and 6.90% of those age 65 or over. Cities and towns *Bloomington *Ellettsville *Stinesville *New Unionville *Smithville Townships *Bean Blossom *Benton *Bloomington *Clear Creek *Indian Creek *Perry *Polk *Richland *Salt Creek *Van Buren *Washington See also *National Register of Historic Places listings in Monroe County, Indiana References Further reading * External links *Monroe County Government Category:Monroe County, Indiana Category:Counties of Indiana Category:Established in 1818 Category:Bloomington, Indiana metropolitan area